Question

Nadia says the hypotenuse of this right triangle has a length of 73 because the Pythagorean theorem states that (28 + 45) squared = 73 squared.
3 squares are positioned to form a right triangle. The small square is labeled 28, medium square is 45, and large square is not labeled.

Which best describes Nadia’s solution?
She is correct because she applied the Pythagorean theorem properly and her arithmetic is accurate.
She is incorrect because she should have used 45 as the length of the hypotenuse.
She is incorrect because she should have squared each leg length and then found the sum.
She is correct because the hypotenuse is the longest side of the triangle.

Answer 1

Answer:

Third answer (she is incorrect because she should have squared each leg length and then found the sum.)

Step-by-step explanation:

The pythagorean theorem states that a²+b²=c². This is not equivalent to (a+b)²=c² (due to FOIL expansion, this expands to a²+2ab+b²=c²).

This matches with the third answer, as she has to do a² and b≥ separately.

**This question involves expanding perfect squares, which you may wish to revise. I'm always happy to help!